Cockatoo was born in the Northern Territory into a family of Indigenous Australian descent (Jupangati and Marrithiyal)[2] and was raised the small town of Humpty Doo.
He began playing football at Auskick level with the Humpty Doo Bombers.
[3] He played his junior football with Southern Districts in the NTFL and the Northern Territory Thunder in the NEAFL.
[4] He has strong family connections to Queensland with his surname deriving from his great-great-great grandfather who was known as 'Old Man Cockatoo' in the Cape York Peninsula[5] as well as three of his Queensland-based uncles Che, David and Donald playing professional football in the AFL.
[6] Several female cousins of his are also involved in the Gold Coast Suns' developmental football academy.